Time and Again'
by WFROSE
Summary: Some Legends shall always exist, to this day and beyond...
1. Prologue

The Legend of Zelda  
  
'Time and Again'  
  
prologue  
  
Staring at the pineapple juice before her that sat on the bar, the young woman with flaxen hair that cascaded down her back like silken wheat attempted to digest what her father had told her so long ago.  
  
She had just turned seventeen, so she was wasn't old enough to order anything harder, but she already knew that it wouldn't help her problems any. In these modern times, where information was delivered to millions but with the pulse of a broadcast signal, the dangers of alcohol were well known. That, although, wasn't the reason she didn't care to drink.  
  
She had had a little wine before, her father allowing her a mite taste during social events and the like, she knew that it would dull her sensibilities, make it all that much more difficult to discern the answers to the riddles her father recited to her before his parting of this existance.  
  
The conundrum was far from the last of her problems. She had lived a sheltered life, a virtual princess in the corporate world, where her father reigned as a king respected by both allies and enemies. His power had little in equal, and seemed could not be challenged.  
  
All that changed four years ago, when a vast enterprise seemed to rise from nowhere, to directly challenge her father's kingdom. A fierce battle that was met blow for blow, as the two quickly established themselves as rivals, and attempted to best one another in almost every business deal that the two conglomerates could piece together.  
  
It was a vicious battle, Nicole knew, but eventually, her father would soon realize that he may have found his better.  
  
Slowly, the battles turned against his favor, before within the previous year, where everything fell. His empire was quickly being dismantled by his opponent, and shockingly from within. Sabotage, his rival was cunning beyond his consideration. Things didn't fail to become worse, as an outraged former employee managed to make a play upon his life. The initial attempt did not kill him, but his life would not be for long.  
  
Before his death, and the final fall of his corporation, Nicole's father told his daughter, his only child, a tale, or a legend so fantastic that she wouldn't be faulted for scoffing at it; the Legend of Hyrule, Zelda, and the chosen heros.  
  
Her scepticism, however, was halted, as the faint glowing triangle suddenly appeared on the back of her hand, almost unnoticable to the point where it could very well have been her imagination. But, for some reason, she knew better.  
  
But, the fact and the credibility of her father's tale were currently moot, as she was now fleeing from an unknown, virtually homelss and poverty-stricken; friendless because of her sheltered life exept for a few business associates that she dared not put in harms way.  
  
Once again, she felt the urge to give into her despairing situation, but steadfastly refused to. She would see this to the end, that is why her father explained to her why she must run away until she discovered her fate. She must keept going until everything could be made better.  
  
"Long face on one so young and beautiful!"  
  
Nicole looked up, to find herself seated to a dark-skinned man with fiery red hair and a broad hooked nose garbed in a fine felt-black colored business suit with faint vertical pinstripes. "There is a lot on my mind."  
  
"Oh?" The blond girl turned studied the man sitting next to her, as he flagged down the bartender, and asked for a shot of his highest shelf scotch. She turned away back to looking at her own beverage, when he brought his attention back to her, "Perhaps it may be best to talk about it, get it off your chest."  
  
The blonde young woman scoffed at the man with the slight Scottish accent, "I think you may be a bit too old to be hitting on me."  
  
The man chuckled, as he took his scotch, and paused before drinking it, "Just as you may be a bit too young to be sitting at this bar. But that wasn't my intention, I assure you." He downed the drink quickly, one large gulp, before gently placing the glass back on the bartop, "You looked troubled, and I was concerned. Simple cause and effect. So, why is it you're here in this bar, instead of being safe at home, tucked in your bed?"  
  
Nicole sipped from her now luke warm glass of pineapple juice, "I'm looking for someone."  
  
"Oh ho, a young man, perhaps?" the redheaded businessman prodded.  
  
Nicole blushed at what was implied, "Not such as that. Someone I was... told... to find. I don't know, perhaps I'm being foolish."  
  
"We all play the fools, and we all can suffer for it, time and again," the man said. He stood up, and dropped enough to cover his drink and leave a sizable tip on the bar, "We only do what we feel we need to do, follow our urges and wants until we finally see their fruitation. Have a nice evening, young one." With that, he turned away, and walked from the bar.  
  
Nicole watched his back as he walked outside the door, feeling a strange foreboding.  
  
_____________________  
  
As the redheaded man stepped from the bar, he didn't even turn to look at the man in his mid twentys standing by the door. His nose was adorned in the center with a ring piercing, with his hair slicked back in a greasy slope. He wore a leather jacket adorned with exessive zippers, and black racing gloves to compliment it. His jeans were tattered almost a lost cause; a stark contrast to the nearly maticulous black military surplus boots he wore.  
  
As the businessman came to a stop before the punk, his expression grew into a smug, sinister smile, as he gave a slight nod. At the signal, Moblin snorted, almost blowing steam from his nostrils. 


	2. Chapter One

The Legend of Zelda  
  
'Time and Again'  
  
Nicole shuddered breathing reflected her anxiety and fatigue. She looked up into the dark night sky, framed by towering buildings that stood close together to form a myraid of alleyways that became a maze that entrapped her. As soon as she had left the bar, she felt a presence nearby of someone of a malicious nature. It wasn't like some magical intuition she experienced that made her harry her pace, but the simple instinct, the 'sixth sense' that all higher thinking animals are capable of experiencing; promoting the urge to flee until that urge was gone.  
  
Whoever it was following her, the young lady knew that they were intent on harming her. It frightened her considerably, more than just the fact that a potential rapist set their sights on her, but that they would unwittingly halt her in her final obligation to her father. They could stop her quest, the duty she was given, before she even knew what it was she truly needed to do.  
  
The moblin behind her was becoming aggrivated. His prey had ducked into the alleys, but found the luck to be in what few were sparcely populated. He knew the area well, as the Moblin gang had claimed it as their turf, and attempted to head her off from the street as much as possible. From her brisk pace, he knew she knew of his presence, but he also wasn't ready for her to fully acknowledge it. Soon enough, her luck would run out, and he could do what he was being paid to do, and enjoy it immensely. The notion brought a smile to his chapped, split lips.  
  
Nicole clutched the front of her lavender and blue jacket around her tighter, not in any attempt to protect herself from the cool, crisp night air, but more in a futile attempt to ward off the chills that wrapped around her spirit like an icy shrowd. She had hoped her pursuer would give up eventually, but he had been too long tracking her. As each moment she knew he was behind her, her anxiety grew. The center of her chest began to feel heavy, and her breathing seemed to become all to laboring in her fear. The sensation belayed the fluttering in her stomach as her realization of danger began to peak.  
  
At that, she began to run.  
  
The member of the Moblins swore, as he quickly gave chase, unintentionally knocking over a garbage can in the process. That spurred the girl to run faster, quickly weaving through the passage ways that she had become lost in, unsure of which direction would lead her back to the greatly more populated streets.  
  
The Moblin growled, as Nicole unintentionally managed to pick the correct way to the streets, and rushed down a different way. He quickly climbed a short wall that separated passageways, and then ran into the back door of one particular building. The pedestrians that were sitting in the lobby of the building cast confusing glances to the young man that rushed through into the front.  
  
He entered to the streets, and ran to where she would be most likely to exit if she continued on her path. He rushed down the alleyway, managing to stop no more than a few meters from Nicole.  
  
It was the first time she had seen her pursuer, but she knew it was him. From the cold leer on his lips to the irritated expression his eyes completed, she knew that this was the man who was intent on her.  
  
In her fright, Nicole fell backwards, the dingy ground soiling her already haphazard light blue slacks. The Moblin stepped closer, lifting his head like a conosseur savoring a fine perfumed scent, as he indulged in the placid tang of fear that the blonde was radiating. At his slow approach, Nicole quickly gathered to her feet, and attempted to run back the way she came. Her flight did not get far, as her pursuer quickly caught up with her, grabbing her arm, and jerking her into a wall.   
  
At the impact, Nicole's breath was expulged from her lungs, as she stared wide-eyed and trembling at the sinister man that loomed over her. her startled and weak cry, inhibited from her lack of air, seemed only to make his smile grow wider. He leaned forward, allowing his rank, heated breath to assault her, causing her to turn her head, and screw her eyes tightly shut. The motion caused her unshed tears of fright to spill forth, as a whimper escaped her throat. She was pinned, unable to gain any leverage with her frail body that was unaccustomed to much rigorous exertion.  
  
The Moblin's victory was assured, and without a word, he leaned forward, extending his heavily cut tongue towards her cheek, intending to capture one of her cascading tears.  
  
Nicole tensed, just as her assaulter jerked, and turned away from her. As his attention was being redirected, he took a slight moment to shove his victim to the ground, causing her body to impact heavily, and leave her momentarily stunned.  
  
"Hey, you freak! Leave her alone!" The Moblin found the source of the voice; a young girl maybe no older than seven. She stood defiantly, holding another can in her hand, similar to the one she had just lobbed at his head.  
  
"Come 'ere, you little brat!" the gangmember demanded, quickly approaching the girl. As he did so, he was unaware of the potted plant being dropped from several stories up on the fire escape with great accuracy.  
  
The little girl ran past the unconcious punk to the blonde lady that was slowly gathering her standing, "Are you okay, miss?" Tiredly, Nicole nodded, before turning to the unconcious punk. So close, she was so close to...  
  
Nicole collapsed back to her knees, covering her face as sobs wracked her frame. A little boy of about five landed from the fire escape next to the little girl, and they both looked on the older girl with concern.  
  
____________________  
  
The sharply dressed redheaded man awaited as his servant opened the door to his sleek black limousine, allowing him entrance. He stepped in, accepting his drink from the stand near the armrest. He was pleasantly surprised that he had found her so easily, expecting her to at least leave the country in her escape. He was sure that her father would have insisted upon such a thing, knowing the price if she was caught by him.  
  
He chuckled to himself in understated breath, as he sipped from his wineglass. Patience, everything was simply a matter of time and patience. After so many defeats in the past, he knew he held the upper hand. He had the knowledge that which the girl's father only had tasted. But even with a small sampling, the man devoted a great deal of his resources to discovering the truth behind it; the reality behind a myth that seemed more like the basis of a videogame than even of historical fable.  
  
What he hoped he would find if he had ever incidentally stumbled upon the truth behind it, McDorf did not know. On the other hand, the Scottsman did know what he would find there.  
  
Power. Power to dominate the world ten times over. Power to bend the forces of nature to his whims. Power to cower the gods, and make them bow before him.  
  
For such power, he would go through many lifetimes in an attempt to cease it, as all it required was patience. And his patience will finally pay off, as his rival had already done the most difficult work for him.  
  
____________________  
  
Nicole had allowed herself to be lead off by the two children, barely able to focus on what was going on around her. She felt defeated and despaired from the recent death of her father, to her all too recent attack on her. She had nowhere to turn, she did not know what she was to do with herself, she only had a vague and cryptic demand from her father as his parting last words that would lead her to her destiny.  
  
The building she was brought into would most likely be condemned just from outside appearances, but on the inside it was a different story. Patchwork fixup jobs littered the interior, signaling that it was a far cry from a professional renovation job, but it obviously held strong and firm to support the dozen or more children that were scattered in the two story building.  
  
Each child wore haggard and dingy clothing that showed signs of wash, but nothing elaborate in caretaking. They all wore bright and cheerful expressions that changed to a slight wariness or interest as they saw Nicole. It was obvious that these children were homeless, but seemed far from miserable, as none of them showed signs of extreme hunger or heavy neglect.  
  
"Who... who takes care of all of you?" Nicole finally asked, drawing the attention of the two children who had lead her in, and were currently leading her upstairs.  
  
"Seth does," the girl answered, "I'm Mandy, and this is Kyle."  
  
Nicole nodded, and tried to smile for them, "Nice to meet you, and thank you for saving me. My name is Nicole Winters."  
  
The little boy scowled, "That nasty man chasing you was from the Moblin gang, what did you do to them?"  
  
Nicole began to tremble, bracing her hand on the banister of the staircase, "I... I don't know."  
  
Mandy bopped the other boy on the head, "She didn't do anything, moron! The Moblins are jerks who like beating people up and stuff for no reason!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry," the boy apologised, "But you should watch out for them, they like hurting people, a lot."  
  
"I understand," Nicole responded, "Where are we?"  
  
"This is where we live. None of us have homes anymore, so Seth lets us stay here now," Mandy stated factually.  
  
"Where are your parents?" Nicole enquired, before realizing it was a poor question to ask.  
  
Mandy frowned sadly, "Momma ran away, I never met my daddy."  
  
Kyle gave Nicole an angry glare, "Mind your own business!"  
  
Nicole felt sincerely sorry for asking, and laid a hand on each of Mandy's shoulders, "My father and mother are gone, too. I never got to meet my mother, because she died giving birth to me."  
  
Both children relaxed, "Then Seth will probably let you stay here, because your an orphan like us."  
  
Nicole focused back on Mandy, after they reached the top of the stairs, "Oh? He will? And when do I get to meet him?"  
  
"Whenever you turn around."  
  
Nicole jumped, not even realizing that someone was standing behind her. Whirling around, she came face to face with a young man dressed in a green t-shirt and blue jeans about her height. She found herself staring into crystal blue eyes, slightly obscured by lockes of blonde hair that was topped with a green bandanna tied to his head.  
  
____________________  
  
Nicole found her stare held firmly by the effimate face of the newly introduced young man before her. An unsettling feeling of familiarity enveloped her for the briefest of moments, like a vague sense of deja vu, or a forgotten dream. "Who...?"  
  
"SEPH!" Mandy ran towards the green-garbed youth, and enveloped him in her best hug.  
  
"Who's this?" the boy named Seph enquired, favoring Nicole with a wary glance while returning Mandy's hug.  
  
"Her name's Nicole," Mandy answered, looking up to the boy as if he were her idol, "She's an orphan, just like us!"  
  
Seph's glance turned into a scrutenous glare, as he observed her attire. It showed hardly any wear, "Are you sure about that?"  
  
"She said her father's gone, and she never met her mother."  
  
Seph snorted, prompting Kyle to imitate him in an exaddurated manner, "She doesn't look like she's too hard off. Why'd you bring her here?"  
  
"The Moblins were chasing her," Kyle interjected, before puffing out his chest in pride, "But we took care of them."  
  
Seph glared at the two children, "Moblins...?"  
  
Mandy and Kyle strank back at the angered look Seph was giving them. "Ah... it was only one Moblin," Mandy argued, hoping to quell some of her idol's ardor.  
  
"What did I tell you about starting stuff with them? They're not above harming you guys, you know?"  
  
"But they were going to hurt her!" Mandy argued, emboldened by her reasoning, "They would have done something bad to her if we didn't do something!"  
  
Seph's glare turned to Nicole, causing her to step back, nervously, "I... I wasn't trying to cause trouble..."  
  
"What did you do to the Moblin gang?" Seph accused, irritated at the potential beehive that had been upset. He had noticed that they have been higher in activity lately, and hoped that the girl before him wasn't the source. Because, if she was, then him and the Kokiri orphans would not be spared for their assistance.  
  
"NOTHING! I don't know! This guy just started chasing me! I... I just ran, that's all!" Nicole replied adimantly, trying to defend herself.  
  
Seph's eyes narrowed, as he looked the girl over. She was definitely attractive, were he interested, and she didn't look like she would have been too difficult of a target. The girl obviously lived something of a sheltered life, and he surmised she probably ran away from home for some petty reason or another. "Hmm, guess the jerk was considering harrassing you simply for a good time. Dirty creeps..."  
  
Nicole sighed in relief that the young man didn't seem angered at her anymore, but jumped when he was suddenly in her personal space, holding out his hand, "Sorry for accusing you, like that, it's just that I have to be pretty protective of these kids."  
  
"You... are you their guardian or something?" Nicole enquired, slightly impressed.  
  
Seph chuckled, "Something like that. Take a seat, and why don't you two to check on dinner or something?"  
  
Nicole sat down in the prooffered chair that was beside the window, while Mandy and Kyle rushed downstairs at Seph's subtle command for privacy. The young woman looked around at her surroundings; they were on the second floor of the two story building, and she could see every corner of the building. It was obviously an old office building that had been abandoned, with line on the floor in large box patterns signifying that cubicle walls had been set up here and there. Without them, the floor looked barren and completely open. Cots and matresses littered the floors, along with a few chairs, a couple of tables, and random other pieces of furniture that had been discarded by their previous owners.  
  
"There isn't much here for you," Seph started, as he leaned out the window, looking at the towering buildings above them, "it wasn't meant to be the Ritz, so I can't imagine you'll want to stay here too long."  
  
"Well," Nicole started, crossing her legs as she followed his glance upwards to the sky out the window, "I have a hotel room I was staying at, until I could get ahold of a friend of my father's. Unfortunately she hasn't been available."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear about your father," Seph apologised, offering his condolences.  
  
Nicole looked down at the floor with a solumn expression, "He died several weeks ago... one of his employees tried to kill him."  
  
Seph snorted, "'Tried'? Sounds like they succeeded." He turned to find himself face to face wn a furious glare, before realizing how distasteful it was that he just said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to make fun, but there's no point in understating the issue."  
  
Nicole's expression faded, as it was replaced by a saddened one, "I know, I'm sorry. I understand that my father was murdered, but it's just hard to accept it."  
  
"I didn't even know my own parents..." Seph commented, as if he were talking about how his day's been, "I've been an orphan as long as I can remember, so I wouldn't be truthful to say that I understand what you're going through."  
  
"That's alright, but I thank you for your concern," Nicole replied, giving a slight nod as a bow of gratitude.  
  
Seph turned and smirked at the girl, "No problem, princess."  
  
Nicole blinked, "Pardon me... 'princess'?"  
  
The young man shrugged, as he leaned against the wall, "Sure, it's not like we get a lot of rich girls who own their own business around here. Just seemed to fit as a nickname, I guess."  
  
Nicole's bottom lip trembled, before she turned away, "I don't have anything. After my father died, a rival company was quick to buy it out and break it apart. They're still working on it, and it will take a few years before they finish, but for all intents and purposes, my father's company is no more, so I can't inherit it."  
  
"Oh," Seph replied, sitting on the floor with his legs folded under him. "This friend of your Dad's...?"  
  
"Sui Lee Chen, a business associate of my fathers, as well as a close friend to the both of us. She likes me to call her 'Aunt Chen'."  
  
"Sui Lee Chen? That's Chinese?" Seph enquired.  
  
Nicole nodded, "She operates out of Hong Kong originally, before she managed to become her own conglomerate. She offered to help salvage my father's company, but he was too proud to accept her help, taking it like a personal battle."  
  
"I can understand that."  
  
"But it's what ultimately brought his fall," Nicole argued. "Aunt Chen will probably take me in, but I have nowhere else to go."  
  
"Well..." Seph replied, standing up again, "It's not going to be safe trying to get you back to your hotel room tonight. We're probably going to have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to do it, during rush hour. That way we'll have a good crowd to hide in, and less chance of being spotted by the Moblin gang. In the meantime, I'll go see if I can get you some clean bedding that isn't used, and something to eat."  
  
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me," Nicole stated in heavy gratitude, "I mean, I could be a danger to you by association, aren't you concerned for your wards?"  
  
Seph stopped, not turning to face Nicole, "Let's just say that I have a grudge against those jerks, and that I don't like seeing them push anyone around if I can help it."  
  
"I understand."  
  
Seph nodded, before heading downstairs, leaving Nicole alone in the dark, open second floor, with only the low light of the street alleys for luminence.  
  
____________________  
  
The Moblin member rubbed the crown of his head, as he scowled and took the shoutdown from his rather muscle-bound superior. "What do you mean you got jumped by a couple of kids?"  
  
"jus' dat'! Little twerp dropped a flower pot on my head, while some other brat distracted me!"  
  
"You freaking loser! What am I going to do with your worthless hide?" the leader of the Moblins demanded, causing his mohawk to flap forward as he shouted. In irritation, he tugged at the two loop earrings at the top of his left ear, and snorted derisively. "McDufus ain't gonna like this. We better find that broad before he finds out we lost her. You know how ticked he's gonna be if we can't prove to him she's out of the way?"  
  
No one replied, knowing the answer would be quickly demonstrated on the one that spoke up.  
  
The Moblin King rolled his head around to pop his neck, causing his cheeks to brush against his high shoulder pads. He retrieved his spear-headed staff from where it was leaning against a wall, and turned away. "Alright, listen up, morons. We *will* find her by tomorrow morning, and she *will* be disposed of by noontime, you got that? That's what I'm gonna tell McDork tomorrow morning, when he checks status. I'm tell'n him that we got rid of her after we had a lil' fun with her! Understood?" He waited for the chorus of agreements to die down, before continuing. "Good. Sounds like those little worthless brats on the Kokiri block are behind saving her. We're gonna talk with our old friend Seph, and if we don't like 'his' answer, we're gonna show them that they ain't much appreciated! Now get outta here, so I can think about things..."  
  
The tall, muscular man in leather watched his underlings leave through the only door of the large brick room that had a haphazardly crafted throne on the far wall. They were going to have to work hard and fast, so that McDorf didn't find out about their mishap. They were being paid handsomely not to screw up, and it would be a shame to let their current gravy train get away.  
  
"Wherever that girl is, she ain't gonna live past the next day..."  
  
____________________  
  
Nicole allowed herself to be lead by Seph through the meandering alleyways, to the street, allowing herself to trust her fate in the noble young man she had only met the previous night. She imagined there were still people like him around, willing to put their own concerns behind those of others, ready to help someone in peril because it was the right and just thing to do. Her father was much like that, before his rivalry had managed to skew his perceptions. Yes, she had known intellectually that there were people with hearts as valiant as her father and Seph's, but she never considered she would find one in such a place as this.  
  
She looked down at her lent close, the red tunic-like vest with white cottonneck shirt, blue jeans, completed with a red baseball cap to hide her blonde lockes. Nicole understood the necessity of her changed ensemble, as it hid her identity from any who would seek her out, and knew her appearance. It was a drastic change from her usual attire, and she found that she probably looked a great deal like Seph. She found rather amazingly, and much to her chagrin, that the clothes fit her extremely well, almost leaving her irritated that her figure perhaps was too close to a guy's form. She decided that once she got back to her hotel room, she would change into something much more flattering.  
  
Seph surveyed the thick streets of the afternoon, teeming with kids out of school for the weekend, families out to enjoy each other's company, and random individuals out for a simple something to do. It would provide the cover he had hoped for, since he was pretty sure that even with Nicole's changed appearance, it may not stand up to a closer inspection. "This way..."  
  
Nicole felt Seph's hand tighten around hers, as he pulled her closer, and pressed against a storefront. The traffic was a bit more thin in this area, so it would allow them to move much more quickly. "We should make it to your hotel within a half hour or so," Seph explained, "Assuming nothing comes up."  
  
"What do you-" Nicole started to say, as she suddenly found herself pressed against the wall, with Seph's hand around her waist, with his face leaning close to hers. For the first few seconds, she was too shocked to respond, before fear started to creep in. "He... he isn't, is he?"  
  
Her question was answered, once she noticed that he wasn't looking at her, instead keeping his eyes shifted in the direction they were heading. After a few moments, he pulled himself away from Nicole, and quickly lead her down the sidewalk. "What... what were you..."  
  
Seph pointed to a guy in a leather jacket with a boar's head crudely painted on the back, "See that guy? He's a Moblin. I doubt they'll be looking for you unless you're really important, but I'm not going to take that chance."  
  
I... I understand," Nicole responded, realizing he was simply attempting to keep the gang member from getting a good look at her.  
  
"Good, we need to hurry, then," Seph once again lead the way, before stopping at a crosswalk of a busy street. Nicole watched his eyes roam, before they widened, and he maneuvered himself and her in front of a wall of people. When the crossing sign signaled they could pass, he pulled the young woman along in a brisk pace.  
  
"Another Moblin?" Nicole asked, looking back, but not seeing any guy with a leather jacket.  
  
Seph nodded, "Yeah, he was the- shoot!"  
  
Nicole found Seph's hands cupping the sides of her cheeks high enough to reach the baseball cap on her head, while pressing his face even more dangerously close to hers than before. Her own breath caught in a startled cry that wasn't given a chance to sound, as she felt her ferrier's breath against her lips. She remained frozen, almost anticipating even the slightest bit of connection.  
  
"Feh, get a room, you two," a gruff, obnoxious voice grumbled extremely close to them, as the owner purposely bumped into Seph, almost knocking them both over.  
  
After a few more moments, Seph backed away, and wiped the sweat from his face. At that, she felt a sense of dejection that nothing happened.  
  
"That's the third one so far, they're looking for you, I think," Seph stated with more than a little fustration.  
  
"Why do you think that?" Nicole enquired, growing fearful.  
  
"These guys hate being out during the day, and only come out even at night to cause trouble."  
  
With no more words, Seph began to lead nicole around a corner, before suddenly tugging the brim of his companion's hat to block view of her face, while he looked skywards, pretending to mind his own business. A derogative snort passed by then, before Seph once again lead them to their destination.  
  
"these are starting to become too close for comfort," Seph whispered, quickly but subtly pulling the two of them around a corner. He peered around it, before taking a deep breath, and beginning the journey again.  
  
"They're everywhere, aren't they?"  
  
"Seems like it," he green-clad young man replied. "Something's pretty important to them to be committing themselves like-"  
  
Seph's arms encircled Nicole's waist from behind, as he suddenly turned them to face a storefront window that was displaying several dresses. Nicole noted that they were of a fair design, nothing too inexpensive, most assuradly nothing compared to what she has worn for even some casual parties she attended with her father. She paused out of her thoughts, when she heard a whistful sigh from behind her, and felt Seph's breath against the bottom part of her neck. Before she could enquire what it was all about, the young man quickly lead her away.  
  
____________________  
  
The whole trek to the hotel had been teeming with Moblins, but they managed to make it without being detected. They both looked up towards the rather grand looking hotel, causing Seph to whistle in appreciation. "Thought you said you didn't have any money on you?"  
  
Nicole blushed, "I... I don't really. I've probably spent more than what I should have, but... I..."  
  
"I think I understand, old habits are hard to break," Seph answered for her, causing Nicole to bow her head in chagrin.  
  
"Um... thank you," Nicole finally said, breaking the ackward silence, "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble."  
  
"We're not out of the woods yet..."  
  
Before Nicole could enquire what he meant, two police cars came down the street, before turning the corner to where the parking garage was. The young woman studied Seph's discerning frown, before he pulled them into the Hotel front lobby.  
  
Several police officers littered it, bringing Nicole a great deal of concern. From what she saw on Seph's face, he felt the same. Without any words, he lead her to a crowded part of the lobby. "Stay here, read a newspaper of magazine, and keep it close to your face. If you happen to see anyone that looks like a punk, or just plain has an attitude, don't make eye contact, alright?"  
  
Nicole nodded, as Seph handed her an old newspaper. With trembling fingers, she took the newspaper, and opened it. "What was your room number?"  
  
"Suite eighteen-thirty two," the young woman answered, keeping her face buried in the paper. Seph nodded, and ran towards the stairwell.  
  
After climbing the long flights of stairs, he arrived on eighteenth floor, slightly out of breath. He couldn't take the elevator, he knew, since the floor would be cordained off and only allowing the strictest access, unlike the stairwell, which was closed off and locked entirely.  
  
Fortunately, it wasn't difficult for him to get in, as he picked the lock, and exited the stairwell cautiously. His luck held, as he didn't see many police officers, and the few there would be rather easy to evade.  
  
Seph walked down the hall, and knocked on a door. It only took a few seconds for the resident of the room to look out, not seeing who it was hiding behind the door, but spying the police officer standing several yards away. "I say, officer..." the stately man in a morning robe commanded, "I believe I had already answered enough of your inquiries!"  
  
Finding himself the focus of an irritated temporary resident, the officer quickly approached the door, "Uh, pardon me, sir. We thank you for your cooperation, and assure you that it is no longer necessary at the present moment."  
  
"Then why are you persistant at troubling me? I have quite a bit of work to do, you know? I'm most assuradly not on a pleasure trip!"  
  
"Um..." the officer attempted to reply, confused as to what was going on. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Seph quietly snuck past while the officer was distracted.  
  
"One Thousand and twenty-one..." Seph mumbled, checking the numbers on the doors. Without going further, he saw down the hall. Even from the angle he was viewing it at, he saw the police tape covering the doorway. Quickly scouting around to make sure that no police officers were around. The young man stealthily walked to the door. Inside were two police officers, he assumed, dressed in business suits, while collecting items from the heavily vandalized room. On a wall that was within Seph's site, he saw a picture of a boar's head, spray-painted on it.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Seph walked back down the hall as casually as possible, despite his inner caution. The officer that had been dealing with the irate hotel patron came to stand in front of him, "Excuse me, sir, are you currently staying in one of the rooms of this floor?" The way he asked the question told Seph that he already surmised the answer.  
  
Seph's eyes widened in delight, "No, dude! I heard there was, like, a murder up here! I wanted to see the body!"  
  
The officer's eyes narrowed, "Go about your business, kid. It's just some punks pulling stupid pranks."  
  
"Aw, what they do?" Seph asked, realizing that it probably wasn't the best thing to be caught, if he were suddenly suspect.  
  
"It's none of your concern," The officer responded, curtly, "Come on, Kid, I don't know how you got on this floor, but you're leaving it."  
  
"Dude, you know, like, the stair door was unlocked, right?"  
  
The officer paused, before growling, "I'm gonna kill Thomas. Well, at least you saved me a bit of trouble..." The officer lead Seph to the elevator, "Here you go, kid, and don't let me catch you again!"  
  
"Dude, it was a bogus adventure, anyways," Seph grumbled, "Wasn't even any blood or nuth'n." The doors closed, as he finished pouting.  
  
____________________  
  
Nicole looked around the lobby she was sitting in, as she continued to hide her face in the paper she was reading. She wasn't sure what Seph's concern was, but felt the obligation to trust him. She should be safe now, with the number of police officers around, it was doubtful that someone would make an attempt at her. Just as she was about to return to reading the newspaper article, more out of boredom than interest, she spyed her companion quickly making his way towards her with a stern and wary expression, as his own eyes scowered the lobby.  
  
Without a word, he grabbed her arm, gently pulled her to standing, and brought her on a brisk walk out the hotel. "Seph?"  
  
"Moblin know you were supposed to be here," Seph replied in a low tone, "Your room was vandalized. That's why the cops are all over the place."  
  
Nicole's eyes went wide, as her hand went to her mouth, "Oh!"  
  
"Looks like we'll have to find another place for you to stay until you get ahold of that Chen woman you were talking about," Seph explained, as he lead her into an alley, "We're going to be taking a few shortcuts, so keep your eyes open for-"  
  
Seph hadn't been paying much attention, unfortunately, as he ran into the leather clad back of one of his 'favorite' street punks. He didn't have the insignia on him, but both Seph and Nicole knew very well who he was.  
  
"Watch were yer' going you little-" The stout young man of about twenty or so turned around, ready to beat the crap out of whoever it was that had the audacity to step into the personal space of a member of the Moblins. It was immidiate the recognition when he saw Seph's face, and instantly knew who his companion was.  
  
With a growl, the Moblin unwrapped the chain he had coiled around his arm, and started spinning it. Seph lightly shoved Nicole away, "Get back, I don't want you to get hurt!"  
  
Nicole complied, though looked on worriedly. The Moblin smiled, luck was with him, as he was the only one so far to run into the two. He doubted the girl would run, and if she did, she wouldn't get very far. The Moblins litered the area, and without someone like Seph, she wouldn't make it very far.  
  
The gang member's biggest concern was his green clad opponent. Seph grew up on the streets, just like most of them did. Not long ago, when the Moblins were formed, Seph refused to join them, citing the excuse that he had other obligations. Begrudgingly, the Moblins left him alone, mainly because they didn't want to deal with the brat pack he took care of. But, because of his refusal, the truce between them has been frail at best. Of course now, seeing as how Seph was assisting someone they had been looking for, the truce may be good and up.  
  
Seph leaned back with his right forearm held before him, as if he were holding a shield, while flicking his left arm, a smooth, durable, laquered, and well weighted bamboo stick of about a foot and a half slid from his shirtsleeve. Once his favored weapon was out, held back and to the side as if waiting for an opportunity to strike, Seph began to slowly strafe around the Moblin.  
  
The gang member followed suit, circling around, while twirling his chain. Soon, the Moblin saw an opportunity to strike, and did so, whiping his chain at Seph's head. The green clad young man parried the tip of the chain away with his right forearm, inciting a loud 'clank', as it connected. Nicole was surprised, before realizing that Seph intentionally held his forearm out as a guard, and from the sound of it, he was wearing some sort of metal sleave on his arm under his shirtsleeve.  
  
Immidiately, once the chain had been pushed away, Seph darted in with a diagonal slash with his stick from the top left to bottom right, slamming it against the Moblin's cheek, and knocking him to the ground. The gangmember was far from out of the picture, though, as he immidiately got back up. With a grunt of anger, the Moblin then swung his chain in a wide horizontal arc, hoping to engangle Seph by the waist. His opponent saw it just in the nick of time, and suddenly rolled under the swing, and past the Moblin's left. As soon as his feet were back under him, Seph leapt up, swinging his stick back to his left, slamming it into the base of the Moblin's skull. The gangmember went flying into a cluster of trashcans, unconcious.  
  
To say the least, Nicole was impressed. Seph obviously knew how to take care of himself in a fight, and apparently was always prepared to protect himself. She reasoned that it was a necessity of living on the streets, one she would possibly never come to know. His quick reaction and the way he anticipated his opponents moves were exellent, something she hadn't seen much of from other than a few choreographed scenes in movies.  
  
"We need to hurry," Seph said with a good deal of urgency, "If anyone finds him out here like this, there's going to be a lot of trouble!" Nicole nodded, as Seph took her hand again, and they began to jog down the alley. This time, they paid close attention to their surroundings, understanding the price for allowing themselves to be distracted from the task. So far, the alleyways had been clear, unfortunately, they couldn't always see who was hiding on the fire escapes.  
  
Almost like a sixth sense, Seph knew to jump back. Grabbing Nicole, he dove to the ground, shielding her from the shock of the landing. They managed to evade the sledge hammer that slammed into the concrete ground, leaving a sizable crater in its wake.  
  
"Seph, long time no see!" the Moblin greeted, slinging the metal hammer onto his shoulder with a little effort, "I would ask who your friend is, but I already have an idea."  
  
"Why do you want her?" Seph demanded, staying poised and ready to move to any direction that would be away from where the attack came from.  
  
The Moblin's mocking smile turned into a distainful sneer, "That's none of your business, Goodnight!"  
  
Seph somersaulted backwards, just before the hammer connected with where he had been standing. Immidiately, he launched himself forward, bringing his stick down in a mighty overheaded arc across the Moblin's right temple. The blow staggered the gang member, who then attempted to retaliate by suddenly swinging his sledgehammer in an uncontrolled circle.  
  
Seph managed to jump to the side, just out of range of the weapon, but refrained from attacking again. The Moblin finally managed to retain his footing after spining around twice, and then swung it again at Seph. Once more the attack was sidestepped, and this time, Seph slammed his own weapon into his opponent's hand holding the hammer, casing him enough pain to let it go.  
  
Once disarmed, Seph became a fury of blows, landing his stick against any opening he found, until his opponent could not withstand anymore, and faltered. As he was falling back, Seph ensured the job was complete, by spinning into a backhand strike with his weapon, knocking the Moblin head over heels.  
  
Wordlessly, Seph motioned Nicole to follow him quickly, as she attempted to rush through the alleyway, still keeping an eye on their enviorment, but now more prepared to just run if they come into more trouble. As they neared the Kokiri block, Seph became worried about the lack of obstacles since they started through the alleyways. "Something's not right."  
  
"What is it?" Nicole asked, fearing the possibilities. Seph didn't answer, as his eyes shifted, as if thinking.  
  
Suddenly, his head snapped up, and his eyes widened. He grabbed Nicole by the hand, and ran with her, no longer worrying if they were spotted or not.  
  
Nicole didn't know what it was that suddenly startled Seph, but soon found out, once they reached the abandoned office building that Seph and the orphans used as their home. The place, for lack of a better word, was wrecked on the outside.  
  
"Oh no," Seph breathed in a tone of emotion she never heard used by many guys before. He dropped her hand, and ran into the building, leaving Nicole standing. After a few seconds, she quickly ran in herself, and found her and Seph surrounded by over a dozen Moblin gang members.  
  
"Ey, Sephie!" One of the Moblins greeted with a menacing smile, "You were out, so we decided to make ourselves at home."  
  
Seph's expression clearly showed how unamused he was, "Where are they?"  
  
Many of the members of the Moblins began to snicker, drawing a fearful chill from Nicole. If anything had happened to them because of her... she wouldn't know what to do. The whole ordeal was scaring her witless, as this was an experience she had never come close to ever sampling before, and it was close to breaking her down.   
  
The gangmember that had been speaking seemed to muse on the inquiry, "Oh, you mean your little snot-nosed brats?" Instead of answering, the punk turned to his compatriots, chuckling along with them.  
  
Seph was livid, "I swear, if anything had happened to *any* of them..."  
  
"Heh, your brat's are in the back being babysat," the Moblin answered, cutting Seph off, "As long as they behave, and we get... heh heh... something in exchange for watching over the tykes, I don't see why they won't continue to remain healthy!" Pointedly, the Moblin's eyes darted over to Nicole, who stepped back in fear.  
  
Following his glance, Seph's eyes met Nicoles, who stared back, fearfully. It was almost like a hundred eternities for Nicole, as she watched the plethora of emotions dance through Seph's irises. Finally, he dropped his gaze to the side, before fully turning away from her.  
  
Nicole suddenly felt as if her chest had been crushed at his action, before she fell to her knees. Without a word, he just gave up on her, without an apology, he just turned her over to the wolves. A sad smile crept on Nicole's face; she realized it was possibly the only thing he felt he could do. She understood he had a greater obligation, and she understood that it may have been the right choice.  
  
Slowly, Nicole came to standing, favoring Seph with eyes watered with unshed tears, even if he kept his back turned, and couldn't see her. "Thank you," Nicole said, softly, "Thank you, for at least trying."  
  
Two of the Moblins grabbed her by the arms, before the head member present whistled for every other member in the building to join him. Once they had all congregated in the front room, they headed out, favoring Seph with contemptful snorts, taunts, mockings, or distainful stares. Seph kept from looking or responding, as he shook quietly in fury for his impotency and failure. 


	3. Chapter 2

'Time and Again' 

Nicole sat in the wooden chair the Moblins graciously supplied her. She was alone, with not even hope at her side. She had already cried herself out after being escorted away by the gang that held her custody, and lacked the energy to continue in her tears. Her father's death, these strange men after her to do to her only God knew, abandoned by someone she believed she could trust; it was as if she were paying penance for the comfortable lifestyle she had known for practically all of her life. She was now facing a hell she did not understand how she became a part of.

Even too frightened to fidget, Nicole did not turn when she heard the single door to the room she was being kept in open. The large man smirked, when he noticed she didn't even give his entrance any attention. The girl was a wreck; probably completely shut herself down from the rest of the world. Good, that just meant she would put up very little fuss when they got rid of her.

"Hey, toots," the Moblin King greeted in a tone that was snide, contemptuous, and sarcastic all at once. He moved to sit at the old but large decrepit desk that was located in the room, propping his feet upon it's worn surface. "Why the long face?"

At the lack of response, he guffawed, before opening one of drawers in his desk, and taking out a pack of cigarettes, "Don't worry, you won't have to pout for too long."

"What are you going to do to me?" Nicole asked, quietly while lacking any concern for herself, just simply sounding curious for intellectual reasons.

The Moblin King frowned, realizing the girl was already broken, which would take the fun out of his taunting. With an irritated expression, he lit his cigarette, took a drag, and blew the smoke in her direction. "Someone wanted you gone, so we're gonna make you disappear. You don't have to worry past that."

"Who? Who wants me gone? What have I done to this person?" Nicole almost pleaded, wanting to make sense of all the misfortune she was experiencing.

"Heck if I know. I'm just being paid a butt load of money to do it," the large man replied, way too casually for Nicole's tastes.

"For money, I see."

The Moblin King watched the girl withdraw into herself, and figured she wouldn't be anymore interesting conversation. He could just simply get rid of her now, but he figured a cute little thing like her, who knows what could happen in the next few minutes. Sans the reason he had graciously requested his underlings give him a bit of privacy. He eyed her intently, while taking purposeful drags from his cig, as she refused to meet his glaze. As his grin began to deepen around the cancer stick in his mouth, his cell-phone rang.

Swearing to himself, he quickly stood up to remove it from the pockets of his too-tight pants, "Yeah..."

Nicole noticed how the man suddenly changed his demeanor, "Wha... yeah, Mr. McDorf, ah..." The Moblin King's eyes flashed over to Nicole, who still wasn't paying him any attention, "Yeah... she is, we were just going to... y-you do?"

The leader of the gang's shock wore off quickly, replaced with an angry frown, "Sure, none of us have harmed her... 'aight, we're waiting..." The Moblin King hung up his cell phone, "McDork..." With angry steps, the Moblin King left the large storage room he was holding Nicole in, "Just make yourself comfortable, looks like you gotta new lease on life."

"McDorf?" Nicole whispered to herself, as the door shut.

* * *

The multitudes of warehouses that the Moblins used at their headquarters were already intimidating without it being nighttime. Abandoned some time ago when the company owning it went bankrupt from competitors, only a few necessity lights were functional, more for the police to be able to patrol the area, not that they were inclined to. The area remained a blind-spot to the eyes of the law, as it was decided it was just too much of a risk. 

The gang that controlled the area had grown massive in a short time, proving to be a veritable army. Because of such, any action taken against them would amount to a large street war that the city just couldn't afford. Nobody knew where they were getting the funding for their ranks, but it made the situation all that more impossible to deal with. Thus, they were largely ignored, and left to their own devices, so long as they didn't create mass trouble that just couldn't be overlooked. Fortunately, for such huge gang, they remained relatively peaceful.

That didn't mean they hadn't earned their keep of enemies; most usually disappeared, while others gave up in their attempts to curb their ranks, as the effort was just too vast to contend with. There were a few that held a truce with them that would only be broken at the leisure of one or the other, far often than not, it was the Moblins that decided it was within their best interests. This time, the one that made the decision was dressed in blue jeans and green, creeping within the shadows.

Seph stalked along the wall, hiding from the dim light that cast down upon the security gate entrance. The gang members that were guarding it were more occupied with a four-way brawl on a videogame system inside the security guard hovel than with actually watching the entrance; after all, who would be stupid enough to try to get IN?

Seph easily snuck past the entrance, going under the blockade bar. On the other side, there were multitudes of warehouses which used to provide storage for a good portion of the city. Now many of them were considered condemned; going so long without any funding to keep them maintenance.

Even if he was somewhat familiar with the area, Seph wasn't sure where he needed to be. It was assured that the self proclaimed Moblin King probably was holding her captive somewhere around his personal quarters. The green clad intruder recalled without fondness that the guy was an obnoxious womanizer, and Seph swore that if he even laid a hand on Nicole, he would ensure that he wouldn't be able to appreciate a woman again.

Surveying the area, Seph noted the overlooking office of the warehouses that was situated on the roof of one of the larger buildings. To get to it, he would have to meander through a veritable maze of warehouses, and across a few tops where he saw catwalks connecting the roofs of the buildings. Tracing the path back to near his location, he headed for the closest warehouse that would possibly gain him access above street level.

Staying with the shadows, Seph kept his ears open for any members of the Moblins. The place would easily be crawling with them, as it was their base of operations, and all of them should know him on sight, particularly since they had something to guard against him. His vigilance paid off, as he ducked into an alley, hiding behind a dumpster as two Moblins strolled by, unaware of his presence.

Seph waited several moments to ensure they were gone, before quickly scurrying to the first door he saw into the warehouse. Carefully, he attempted to open the door, and found it locked. Of course, that would just be his luck. Eyeing the door, he noticed the type of key it required. He didn't see what would typically make this warehouse special, except for where it would allow him to access, and he doubted the Moblins allowed themselves to remain inaccessible to any part of their home.

Someone around may have a key to enter it; it was just a matter of finding the right person. Looking around, Seph decided to head towards one of the close by warehouses where he saw the lights on, he would just ask politely if someone could grant him access, presuming there wasn't too many of them around.

Creeping to a window, he looked inside, finding only two gang members within. It looked like some sort of gym, supplied with large punching bags for them to wail on at their leisure, as well as multitudes of free weights and some other exercise equipment. In the center of it all was a large boxing arena.

After ensuring that there were only two in there, Seph quietly approached the door, and almost sighed when finding it unlocked. Entering, he casually strolled in, as if he belonged there. The two Moblins working out inside gave a dismissive glance, expecting it to be another member of their gang, before they both did a double take at the intruder.

"Hey, mind if I work out with you guys?" Seph asked, cheerfully.

"It's Seph, getim!" One of them commanded, before they both rushed after him. Seph quickly slid his escrima stick from his sleeve, anticipating the fight that was about to ensue. The first one that reached him was the guy who had been practicing against the punching bag. His gloved padded hands struck out quickly in an attempt to lay a haymaker on the intruder. Seph proved to be just that much faster, as he darted to the side, and then rolled to continue moving.

The second member had went and retrieved a weapon; one of the bars used for bench pressing free weights. As Seph came to standing, he was forced to duck quickly, lest he be caught dead on by the swinging of the forty-five pound bar.

Finding the momentum difficult to arrest, the second Moblin pivoted farther than he wanted, providing Seph with an excellent shot to the side of his face. As he staggered back, Seph turned to find the other guy almost on top of him, ready to tackle him to the ground. Darting to the side just before he was pushed to the floor, Seph backed away, and darted behind one of the heavy punching bags. The bag provided a little protection against the weight lifting bar swung at him, but the force pushed it into the green clad young man, knocking him sideways.

Rolling with the blow he received from the bag, Seph quickly leapt over one of the weight lifting benches, just in time to evade a downward swing from a heavy bar. Immediately, Seph turned back, leapt over both the bar and the broken bench, holding his weapon high for a powerful downward strike. A telling blow was landed against the Moblin's temple, as he spun, and fell unconscious to the ground. Still preoccupied that he disposed of one of them, Seph was caught unawares by a fist to the side of his ribs that sent him sliding against the floor. It wasn't seriously impeding, but the punch did hurt.

Quickly scampering to his feet, Seph darted back, and again to evade a heavy jab and follow up cross. As the boxer was getting his footing back, Seph went on the offensive, catching his opponent with a horizontal slash to his right cheek, a second swing to his left jaw, before Seph continued all the way into a second back strike with the stick, catching the fighter on the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

The boxer slowly began to scramble to his feet, just in time to see Seph airborne above him, and felt the heavy tempered raton stick connect with his forehead, dribbling the back of his head against the concrete floor.

Seph sighed; glad he was finished with the two faster than he had anticipated and with little damage. A quick search over both of the men earned him a key, and after making sure they were securely tied up so they couldn't alert any more of their ranks, Seph started back for the warehouse that had been his intended destination.

* * *

She sat at her large marble desk; her elbows propped up on its jade center, while her hands covered her face. "Victor, forgive me for failing you," She whispered, before straightening up. 

Her hands parted from her youthful and dusky oriental face that was marred with streaks from lost tears, so that she could smooth back her flowing snow white hair, and she stood up with a deep sigh. She had tied hard to salvage her friend's company from McDorf, but it seemed as if the Scottish man knew her moves before she could make them, or knew what prizes she was trying to gain before she could make a move. She would have suspected that she had a spy within her own corporate circle, but much of the things he bested her at she had not even told a soul of her intent. Actually, what she had realized, was that he knew exactly what they both wanted, and knew exactly when she would need it. That told her that McDorf's direct opposition was no mere business rivalry; he also believed in the treasure they all were searching for.

It was frustrating, but she was trained better to give into her anger. She could grieve over her failure, but she also knew she couldn't for long. Victor's death and the buyout of his company happened almost a month ago. No, what she currently grieved for was over the knowledge she had just received.

Nicole, her god-daughter, has disappeared.

Hopefully, the ancestors would give her fortune, and the worst hadn't come of the blonde girl that she had watched grow up from infantry, and treated as much as the child she wished to have herself. On that hope, she was waiting for the preparations to be made; preparations that would allow her to personally search out the girl, and bring her back to safety.

More than just her maternal instincts pushed the desperation of the whole situation. There was much Nicole needed to learn, a great deal that needed to be explained to her over what she and Nicole's father have been working and looking for since they began their association.

Victor told Sui Lee, that if anything were to happen to him, that Nicole, with her pure heart, inherit the fabled 'Golden Power'. Since swearing her word, Sui Lee Chen would give her very last breath to see his wish fulfilled.

* * *

Seph quietly inserted the key, and twisted gently until he heard the sound of the lock's tumblers act. Looking around before he entered, Seph quickly closed the door behind him as to not alert any of the Moblins to any suspicions. The young man scurried against the walls, keeping in the dark as much as possible, and looking above and around him to see if there were any stairways that would allow him to the top of the building. Alas, all he could spy was a walkway that lead from another building that was outside the other side of the warehouse he was currently in. 

He took a quick moment to look around, hoping he may find a better weapon to arm himself with, after a quick cursory glance around him; he was disappointed to find nothing more than boxes. Almost tempted to break a few apart to find out what was in them, Seph refrained from the act, concerned about making too much noise.

Finally to the end of the warehouse, he used the key that he had acquired from the earlier Moblin duo to let himself out. Just as he was exiting, he found the glaring light of a flashlight grace his face, causing him to curse lightly, and hope he wasn't actually spotted.

"Hey, who's there?" a gruff voice demanded, before the patrolling Moblin brought his flashlight back where he had thought he heard the door opened to one of the unused buildings. Finding nothing in his beam, he made to investigate further, and growled when he found the door ajar. He was pretty sure the door was locked, so something was up, "Alright, who's screwing around, We ain't got time for this!" Looking around, and still finding no one, he headed inside the empty warehouse building to find if anyone was hiding within.

Seph pulled himself tighter into the wall, hoping the gang member didn't grow suspicious of the fact that the door didn't land against the stopper, instead hitting against a hiding intruder. With surprising stealth, the Moblin crept into the dark warehouse, noting all the easy spots there were to hide within. Unfortunately, he didn't consider anyone could be hiding next to the door.

Without even giving the slightest warning, Seph whacked the unsuspecting Moblin in the back of the head, causing him to tumble, and lose his flashlight. Before he could gain his bearings, the green-clad intruder dove for the electric torch, and quickly switched it off.

With a stream of curses, the gang member looked around furiously for whoever hit him, and pulled out the chain he used as a weapon. Swinging it around menacingly, he waited for whoever hit him to make themselves known, so that he could give his appreciation to being blind sided.

Suddenly, he heard someone running behind him, and turned to swing. His chain connected with nothing, but he was assured that someone was there. Cautiously, he slowly turned, before suddenly striking out with the chain, attempting to see if anyone was trying to sneak up on him.

"Hey."

The Moblin quickly turned to the voice, readying the chain, before a bright light flashed into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. With a cry, he covered his eyes, allowing the intruder the opportunity to bludgeon the gang member on the brow, causing him to reel back. Realizing he wasn't ready to fall yet, Seph spun behind the Moblin, braced himself, and directed a heavy swing to the base of the gang member's skull.

"Close," Seph whispered to himself, before heading back out the building. He made his way to the side, where he knew the fire escape would be that would allow him access to the upper level, and quickly climbed it before someone else discovered him. The door to it was unlocked, allowing him to enter without the key, and he found himself before the catwalk he had seen earlier. He deftly made his way across, and found the exit on the opposite end.

Outside was a rail less balcony, and the open area that was in the center of the warehouses. Looking around, Seph realized the whole area was arranged in a crescent shape; a moon with it's back facing against the river harbor. Looking closely at the buildings, Seph saw one set of warehouses with more lighting than the others on the other side of where he was at. Knowing no other option, he decided it would be best to head towards them.

Turning to the building next to the one he was on, he was relieved to find that he could easily clear the gap between the balcony he was on and the roof.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of violet eyes tracked the familiar figure across the roof, barely able to make out his green ensemble in the vague light the moon and roof lights allowed. Estimating where Seph's journey would take him, his observer made a path to intercept.

* * *

McDorf couldn't fight the grin that was plastered upon his face. At first, he had wanted the girl disposed of like her father, before realized something. 

No, she was still very important in the grand scheme of things. His knowledge of legends was spotty, with what little he could find remained vague as was his own recollection. If he were to kill her, she may take with her that precious token of power that he had so fiercely strove for over so long.

The elevator door opened, allowing first his first bodyguard to step out, then himself, followed by his second and third bodyguard. They weren't particularly necessary, he knew, but they were excellent to keep around for intimidation purposes. All three were part of his own specially trained 'Darknaught' squadron; even if he was capable of taking care of himself, they ensured he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty.

Back to the matter at hand; that fool's daughter, Nicole if he recalled, most likely knew who he was by now. After all, he had been methodically running her father's business into a wall, before squashing it, so it would lead him to believe she at least thought to find out the identity of the one who set out to destroy her father's vast company.

Of course, she only knew the name, not the face behind it. It was amusing, as he was able to get so close to her, close enough to end her life as he pleased and she looked at him as if he were a concerned face.

McDorf's bodyguards only glanced towards their employer, as he roared out in laughter. "The dear girl," he thought to himself, "it was a shame for her father to leave her in such naivety."

He sobered up, as they were exiting the building which happened to be the branch of his company located within the city he was currently in, "Let us be hasty, who knows what that gang of dogs may do with her, if left for too long"

* * *

Seph found himself fortunate. He had encountered little in the way of opposition, and had gained a flashlight and a little cash from those he had managed to defeat on top of it. True, he disliked stealing from them, but he knew where he could put it to better use than what these idiots would. Taking a quick inventory, he nodded at the fact that he already had enough to feed the kids he looked over for at least a couple of weeks. 

Pushing aside his vague sense of guilt, Seph made his way into the skyline of the warehouse he was currently atop of. He landed with only a slight amount of noise on the platform he saw below it, having used his flashlight to spy into the dark building. No more than a few moments after landing, the lights switched on, startling almost to falling off.

"Long time no see." Seph's eyes went wide, as he recognized the voice. Not her, not her of all people!

With a sickly grin, he looked below, and groaned at the sight of the unfortunately familiar girl. It was a small favor for him that she wasn't surrounded by dozens of her fellow gang members, but that was because he knew full well she had a serious grudge against him. "Hey... Jasmine... how's your training been going?"

Her face immediately darkened, as if Seph said the exact wrong thing to say. She held her arms straight out to her sides, allowing two escrima sticks to fall out of her leather jacket sleeves, and into her waiting hands. "Why don't you come down and find out? It's been a while since we've been able to have a match. Ever since you got me kicked out of Tuhon Karunrungan's instruction, that is"

* * *

Seph closed his eyes, sighing, "I had nothing to do with that, and I wished it would have been different, I really do." 

Jasmine's face tightened, and the blond youth awaited the obvious rebuke. Truthfully, Seph wished things had been different between them. The girl down below was his rival in the school they would train at. Where as Jasmine's parents had enrolled her into the school, because the martial arts form was part of her nationality's heritage, Seph begged to be taught, in return for whatever labor services the master of the form required. Tuhon Karunrungan was impressed with the blonde's eagerness, and accepted the offer.

Neither Seph nor Jasmine at first had much to do with each other apart from being peers in their style, but eventually, Seph's eagerness was granting him an advantage over the other girl. Karunrungan noticed this, and his attention began to shift towards who was quickly becoming a prized and valuable student. Jasmine hadn't any intention of becoming the best, but concerned herself over how her parents would react. To think, an outsider besting her at the fighting style that her family practically worshipped as some religion!

Jasmine snorted, waving the memory off, "Who cares, you did me a favor anyways. I never wanted to be in that cruddy school anyhow."

Seph had made his way to the service ladder, and descended to meet Jasmine on the ground level, "Then, what do you want?" The blonde youth approached his once time rival, and flinched when she flipped her wrist, allowing a flat wooden stick the length of her arm, cut almost like a straight sword.

"You're trespassing," Jasmine responded, simply, though the grinning expression on her face stated how simple it was.

"I don't want this fight; I'm just looking for someone, alright?" Seph pleaded, yet drawing his rattan stick and holding it at ready.

"Hmm, bringing you in will get me some brownie points," Jasmine mused out loud, before she slowly began to creep towards the one she had decided was the bane of her existence, "not that I won't have fun while doing it." With that, she launched at Seph, aiming to crack his skull open with the edge of her stick.

"Hey!" The blonde quickly darted to the side, understanding that he wasn't going to get out of the warehouse until one of them was unconscious... or worse. He didn't want the latter for either of them, so it was best he finish this as quick as possible.

Recovering from his roll, Seph quickly stood to meet Jasmine's second charge. She slashed at him in an x pattern, forcing Seph on the defensive; a position their instructor insisted they never fall into. Realizing the wisdom of Karunrungan's teachings, Seph forcibly batted the heavier flat stick away with his light rattan one, and torqued it back into Jasmine's shoulder.

From the way the girl gritted her teeth, she assuredly felt it, but was far from defeated, "Is that all you got?"

The wild horizontal slash almost caught Seph, if not for the deft backwards somersault after he connected with his strike. The stick was obviously somewhat heavy for her, as she momentarily fought to regain balance.

For several moments, they both regarded one another, swinging their weapons around to keep them moving and warding off the other from attacking. Suddenly, Jasmine burst into motion, zigzagging at Seph. Instinctively, the blond youth parried the strike aimed for his shoulder, before realizing how close-quartered he was. She had darted to his blindside, the side without a weapon, and smacked the edge of her flat stick against his ribs.

"AH!" If he hadn't begun diving out of the way when she struck, Seph was sure that would have broken ribs. Forcing himself to concentrate past the pain, Seph darted in as she was turning, smacked her weapon away again, and slammed his into her arm.

Jasmine grunted from the pain, before turning another wild horizontal swing towards Seph, "JUST GO DOWN!"

Instead of following her advice, Seph somersaulted over her, before turning, and slamming a more controlled, but not nearly as powerful horizontal slash to her back. The blow was strong enough to send her sliding on the floor, gritting in serious pain. That was one of the reasons Tuhon Karunrungan expelled her; her temperament led her to losing control, especially when she had made a grievous mistake.

Every connect Seph made, Jasmine let loose with one of her wild swings...

"You'll PAY for that!" Jasmine growled, suddenly rushing him much faster than she had before. He was forced to retreat, as she quickly let loose three swings in repetition that were near impossible for him to parry. Before he could retaliate, she darted to his side, before attempting to slash at him three times. Seph was tightly pressed, deciding to utilize a risky maneuver.

Jasmine once again changed positions around him, beginning another volley of three, starting with a diagonal slash. Seph anticipated it, and parried it, barely forcing it to clear over his head. Quickly drawing his weapon to the ribs on his right side, the green clad fighter swung it across, slamming it into Jasmine's ribs once again.

The blow was enough to send her sliding, but not enough to knock her down. "RRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!" Jasmine screamed, attempting to retaliate with another wild swing. Instead of moving out of her range, Seph ducked it. The gang member's eyes went wide, when she realized her mistake.

Seph launched himself upwards in a spin, slashing his rattan weapon across her chest with enough force to send Jasmine flying backwards. She soared in an arc several feet away, before landing in a stacked pile of empty wooden crates.

Seph landed, and rushed to ensure she was alright; even if she was conscious, he doubted she would be in any condition to fight. He didn't want to leave her in too bad a condition, though. He nearly sighed in relief, when he noticed her unconscious, peaceful face, and carefully carried her out of the pile, laying her on the ground. The air was warm, so he removed her jacket. As he did so, he found another key Jasmine had been carrying on her, and pocketed it. Finally, he bunched her jacket, and put it under her head to keep it elevated.

After ascending back up the service ladder, Seph exited through the roof of the warehouse he had been in. The tip of the moon was just a few buildings away; unfortunately, the next roof didn't have a rooftop bridge, nor was it close enough to jump to. Re-entering the building he had just fought Jasmine, he quietly crept to the exit the exit that was closer to his destination. A cursory glance told him that Jasmine was still out; causing him a twinge of regret.

Her key unlocked the door, allowing him to exit. Looking around, he saw the building that was next to the tallest one that he knew Nicole was being held. Seph was pretty positive that attempting to enter that one directly would lead to some serious problems, so the stealthier route was taken.

Once again, Jasmine's key proved useful, unlocking the door before him. "She must have had a skeleton key for the warehouse," he mused to himself, opening the door. As soon as he entered, he knew he was in deep.

The lights were out, but the snores around him informed Seph he stumbled into their bunking quarters. With a quick prayer that no one would wake, he tip-toed through the barely visible path of makeshift beds, slowly making his way to the service ladder that lead to the roof.

"Hey, guys, we have an intruder on the prem..."

Seph's eyes went wide, as the lights came on, and twelve Moblins suddenly shot up awake. It was only an instant before all eyes focused on the out of place green clad young man.

"...esis..." the Moblin that just entered to inform the other gang menbers finished, before taking out his chain, "Heh, I guess we found him, guys"

* * *

"What the heck is all that racket?" The Moblin King growled, tossing down his magazine, and moving towards the door, "You stay put; I'm gonna go bust some sense into some rowdy morons." With that, he collected his spear from beside the door, and exited, slamming it behind him.

* * *

Seph just barely managed to escape the near free-for all that had ensued. At once, the Moblins had rushed him, managing to get in each other's way, and tagging each other almost as many times as they were intending to hit him. Eventually, hostility among one another rose, and while Seph was still persona non grata, everyone else became fair game. 

In the chaos, he surprisingly managed to ascend the service ladder, and make it to the walkway that lead into the next building. The quiet corridor lead to several flights of stairs, reaching the top. As quietly yet as quickly as he could, Seph made his way towards the stairs, before he heard angry footsteps descending.

Quickly, he dove under the first flight of stairs, remaining as silent as possible to avoid detection. In the sparse light available, Seph saw the ringleader storming into the direction he had just come from.

Once he heard the door shut, Seph stood up from his hiding place, glaring to where his nemesis had disappeared to. Without any preamble, he quickly ascended the stairs. On the top floor, he saw several doors, and knew he was short for time. Quickly, he had begun to check each door, hoping not to disturb any one who may have been hiding inside. It didn't take him long, before hearing the whimpering behind the door all the way at the end of the hall.

"Figures, it would be the last door," Seph groused to himself, rushing down the hall, and entering. "Hey, Princess."

At the voice, Nicole looked up, before her eyes went extremely wide, "Seph!"

Making a shushing motion, the green clad youth made his way to Nicole, and began untying her from the chair, "Just give me a sec, and I'll have you out of here. We're gonna have to hurry before-"

"SEPH LOOK OUT!"

He was already in motion before he heard the warning, diving backwards away from the spear's path before he was impaled.

"Figured that was your handiwork down there," the Moblin King groused, storming into the room.

"Moblin King," Seph groaned, as he circled away from Nicole to keep her out of the way of the obviously oncoming fight.

"Didn't think you to be the bleeding heart type," Moblin King snorted, "Figured you would care more about those brats than interfering with us."

Seph frowned, "You're not going to touch a single one of those kids, you hear me?"

"Hmph," The Moblin King had circled the room, until he retrieved his spear from the wall, "I don't think you'll be around to do anything about it!" Suddenly, with a speed that surpassed Seph's estimation of the large man, The Moblin King attempted to plow down the green garbed orphan with the tip of his spear. With barely any time to react, Seph dove to the side, and turned to find the Moblin King having rammed his spear into the wall that was behind him.

Seeing the opportunity, the caretaker of the Kariko orphans dashed after the stuck gang boss. Seph leapt into the air, shouting an incoherent battle cry as he raised his rattan stick above his head in a two handed grip, ready to cave in the thick skull of the Moblin King. His window to retaliate immediately shut down, as the Moblin King finally managed to remove his weapon from the wall, and blindly spun to slash at his airborne opponent.

"AH!" Seph felt his ribs bruise, complimented by the whiplash sensation, as his body suddenly shifted directions in the air.

"Huh, serves you right, little punk," the gang leader scoffed, as he strode cockily over to his sprawled rival, "I think I'll throw you out the window, just to finally be rid of you."

Seph rolled back to standing, a bit shaken from the blow and bruised, but otherwise fine. He thought it would be best to not attempt a head on attack, figuring his rattan stick was no match for the aluminum spear. Of course, his opponent seemed to realize his advantage, as he used its full length to swipe at the green clothed fighter.

Seph somersaulted backwards from the swing, and zigzagged towards the Moblin King as he was still recovering from his missed swing. The gang leader finally arrested the momentum, and attempted a vertical strike right down upon Seph, only to have it dodged. It still proved no avail to the smaller fighter, as the Moblin King suddenly swung it in a wide circle around him, aiming to clip Seph at any part of the radius.

Fortunately, Seph proved nimble enough to leap out of range, and skipped away to assess the situation. That reach was proving wayyyy to big an issue to take on. He wasn't given more time to consider the problem, as the Moblin King once again rushed at Seph in an attempt to pin him at the head of the spear. Still proving slightly faster, the green clad fighter rolled out of the way, once again taking the Moblin King by surprise. Before he could cease his forward rush, Seph was already upon him, and just as the spear was once again embedded into the wall, the Moblin King's head slumped forward from the strong impact of durable wood against the base of his skull.

'YOU LITTLE CREEP!"

"SEPH!" Nicole screamed when she saw the wild swing, and the way Seph's shirt tore in its path. She feared the blow did grievous damage, but she held her breath in hope.

"Whoa!" Seph gasped out, as he just barely managed to evade the wide slash made at him. As it was, he still managed to have his abdomen nicked, tearing his shirt. With a grunt, Seph landed, bracing his feet into the ground to cease his backwards slide. Before he could even get his bearings, he was forced to frantically evade the mad swings of the Moblin King, which started to come faster and faster. So intent on ensuring he didn't get pounded, Seph failed to notice himself back against one of the walls. Finding his foe trapped, the Moblin King roared, as he made a heavy horizontal slash that cut through the wall, exposing the outside to view.

Seph recovered from his roll that carried him under the powerful swing, and turned to find the Moblin King slightly winded from his temper tantrum. Not letting the opportunity slide, Seph made no battle cry, as he slammed his weapon into the gang leader's head, causing him to stumble to his knees.

Not wanting to get caught in another temper tantrum, Seph back hand sprang, and then somersaulted away to a safe distance, awaiting the next move of the gang leader. Much to Seph's relief and concern, the Moblin King rose to his feet, staring balefully at his opponent. "You'll pay for that, Seph," He said simply, as he cautiously approached the smaller fighter.

Seph suddenly dashed at the Moblin King, weaving in a zigzag pattern in an attempt to keep the enraged gang leader from focusing on him. It worked, as the Moblin King mistimed his downward vertical swing, crushing only the floorboards. Seph had begun a counter maneuver, just as he was about to face impact, by rolling to the side at the last minute, and launching into a backhand spin, viciously connecting with his stick against the Moblin King's head.

"RRRRRAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Seph didn't even get a chance to evade, having to recover from his own extensively powerful move, and failing to do so before the Moblin King did. The green clad fighter was slammed face first into the wall on the far side of the room, as his back roared with the pain of a metal rod being swung into it, and his chest throbbed from the hard impact of the wall against it. Seph slid down the wall to kneeling, attempting to shake the cobwebs from his head, and barely aware of his surroundings.

"Seph, LOOK OUT!"

The Moblin King grinned, as he felt his spear bury up to his hands, "Seph-kabob!" That's when he felt the tap on his shoulder. With a sickly grin, the Moblin King turned, to find Seph favoring him with a hooded gaze, while wound up in an obviously intending to be very powerful backhand. "Ah, about the Seph-kabob thing..."

Seph didn't allow him to finish, as he allowed a potent rising diagonal slash to rip through the air, soundly connecting with the Moblin King's chin, and snapping his head back. For a moment, the toughest member of the Moblins teetered, before slowly fading backwards. Gravity and unconsciousness fully overtook him, as he fell backwards, flat onto the floor.

Seph stayed prepared, in case it was a ruse, but relaxed after deciding the fallen leader of the Moblins wasn't that good an actor. Groaning at his injuries, he made his way over to Nicole, and began to untie her, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," the blonde young woman replied, shakily, "I didn't think you would actually come back for me... and I would have understood."

Seph blinked, before sighing, "Ah, leaving a princess like you with these thugs would have weighed on my conscience too much." Nicole couldn't see his smirk, as he worked on the knots around her hands, "Besides, the kids wouldn't shut up about it until I did do something."

"But aren't you afraid they might do something to them?" Nicole enquired, feeling her well-being was not worth that of a single one of the children.

"They're safe right now, but we can't go back to Kokiri for a while, if ever."

"I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble. I would have been best if you had simply let me be."

Seph moved to face Nicole, "Hey, it's not your fault. Whatever these goons wanted with you, it wasn't good, and I really couldn't have sat back and let it happen."

For several moments, Nicole stared at Seph, marveled by his comforting words, and the proximity of his soft, kind, effeminate face. Seph noticed her focus, and cleared his throat as he turned away, nervously, "Anyways, it's best we get out of here before Mr. Moblin wakes back up, or his goons show up."

As he stood up, he grimaced, clutching his bruised side; an action easily noticed by Nicole. "Oh, you're hurt! Let me help."

"I-it's fine, I'm alright," the blonde young man replied, suddenly more nervous at her attention. He unfortunately was injured enough for it to impede his movement without adrenaline surging through him as it did during his battle with the Moblin King, and Nicole was able to gently prod the underside of his ribs.

She paused, before shifting the hole in his shirt caused by the head of the Moblin King's spear, "You're bandaged already. You were fighting while you were already hurt!"

"It's nothing, okay," Seph insisted, bracing himself against the pain, and pulling away from her.

Hurt from his sudden defensiveness, Nicole turned away from Seph; her eyes falling upon the Moblin King's unconscious form, "Wha... what?" She suddenly rushed towards the downed gang leader, finding something that had fallen out of his pocket, "He couldn't possibly afford this!"

"What is it?" Seph enquired, spying the heart shaped box in her hands with the word 'Vita-life' on it.

"A Vita-life supplementary package. It was something my father was funding. It's supposed to enhance the body's healing and endurance by radically restoring anti-oxidants throughout your system, while forcibly purging cellular waste, and continue to do so at the increased level indefinitely. The end result is supposed to be quite amazing, plus it can also work by multiple installments, continually increasing a person's vitality."

"Huh, sounds cool," Seph replied, not really understanding a word that had been said, "But if it does all that, why didn't he just take it himself?"

"He probably didn't know how it was supposed to be taken," Nicole said, chuckling, "Here, open wide..."

"Wha-MM! Seph immediately clamped his mouth down upon the inch sized capsule, one of the four that had been in the container.

"Chew it, and I'll give you the next one. These capsules have to each be taken in the proper order, or it won't work." Cautiously, Seph began to chew, before deciding the taste wasn't all that bad; a rather sweet taste, in fact. Nicole smiled softly, before handing her savior the next capsule. It was but a small way of giving her thanks for his help, especially with the trouble she had caused him.

"Hey, I am feeling better!" Seph noticed, not even feeling the sting in his ribs and back anymore, "I feel like I could just sprint for miles!"

"That's good," Nicole stated with a smirk, "We should get out of here, quickly then." The green clad young man nodded, before taking a key off of the Moblin King's desk, and ushering Nicole out the door.

* * *

Author's notes: Sorry this took so long, but format for posting fics make the notion of working on large chapter fics EXTREMELY unappealing -  



End file.
